Paul van Dyk

This article is about the DJ. For the American historian, see Paul Van Dyke.

Paul van Dyk
Background information
Birth name	Matthias Paul
Born	16 December 1971 (1971-12-16)
Origin	Eisenhüttenstadt, East Germany
Genres	Trance Electronic dance music
Occupations	Musician, record producer, DJ
Instruments	Keyboards, mixer, synthesizer, Turntables
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Armada Music, Vandit Records Ultra Records Deviant Records MFS (1992-1998)
Associated acts	see Co-production section of Paul van Dyk discography.
Website	paulvandyk.com

Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk (born 16 December 1971(1971-12-16)) is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer. One of the first true Superstar DJs, Paul van Dyk was one of the first artists to receive a Grammy nomination in the newly added category of Best Dance/Electronic album for his 2004 release Reflections. He was named the World's No. 1 DJ in both 2005 and 2006, something less than a handful of DJs have ever achieved. Paul van Dyk is the only DJ to hold a spot in the World's Top 10 DJs since 1998. He is also the first DJ to be named No. 1 by Mixmag in 2005. As of 2007, he has sold over 4.5 million albums worldwide.

A trance producer starting in the early 1990s, Paul quickly achieved popularity with his remix of "Love Stimulation" by Humate under the record label MFS in 1993, and with his hit single, "For an Angel", but in recent times he no longer likes to describe his music as trance, but rather simply as electronic dance music.

History

Early life and musical beginning

Paul van Dyk grew up in East Berlin in a single parent household; his father left him and his mother when he was four years old. While living there, he worked as a broadcast technician and began training to become a carpenter. Paul van Dyk claims his musical education came from radio. Because where he grew up there were no record stores at which to buy music, he kept in touch with the world beyond the Berlin Wall by secretly listening to the popular but forbidden Western radio stations RIAS (Radio in the American Sector) and SFB and mixtapes occasionally smuggled into the country and copied among school friends.

Shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, van Dyk and his mother were given permission to leave East Germany and moved to Hamburg to live with his aunt. In 1990, van Dyk moved back to Berlin. His first appearance as a DJ was in the Tresor in March 1991. After several more dates, he was given the chance to perform at Juergen Kramer's Dubmission parties in the Turbine club, together with the young resident DJ Kid Paul. The shows were called Paul vs. Paul. His mixing style drew the attention of Cosmic Baby and the two collaborated as The Visions of Shiva. Their single "Perfect Day" was released by the renowned Berlin independent label MFS (Masterminded For Success) Records, run by English ex-patriat producer Mark Reeder and manager Torsten Jurk.

In February 1993, van Dyk and Kid Paul hosted an installment of the weekly three-hour "HR3 Clubnight" radio show, performing for a nationwide audience on German radio. The second and final Visions of Shiva single "How Much Can You Take?" was released, and van Dyk and Cosmic went their separate musical ways. By late summer, Paul released his first DJ-mix compilation "X-Mix-1 - the MFS Trip" and remixed Humate's trance hymn "Love Stimulation".

The growing popularity of the Dubmission parties forced venue changes, first to Cafe Moskau and then into the larger E-Werk where van Dyk began hosting regular MFS nights.^{[citation needed]}

1994–2007

In 1994, Paul released The Green Valley EP, Pump This Party and Emergency 911. Meanwhile, MFS acquired many remixes for Paul. MFS label owner Mark Reeder's close friendship with artists such as New Order gave Paul the opportunity to mix the track "Spooky" from the Republic album. Persuaded by Reeder, he finally recorded his debut LP 45 RPM with Johnny Klimek and VOOV. Reeder also compiled the album's running order and design, and chose the album's title as a reflection of the 45 rpm speed typical for dance vinyl.

Mark Reeder compiled Seven Ways, which established Paul van Dyk as a trance pioneer and was Paul van Dyk's first real success in Britain. Reeder had successfully convinced his old friend Rob Deacon (formerly of Volume) to license the album for the UK and his new Deviant label. Seven Ways was voted the #1 album by readers of DJ Magazine.

In early 1997, Paul van Dyk began collaborating with U.S. music producer BT. Together, they produced tracks such as Flaming June, Forbidden Fruit and Namistai (1999). The singles "Forbidden Fruit" and "Beautiful Place" did not cause a great impact at first but, with the release of Seven Ways and "Words" appearing at the height of the British superclub phenomenon, van Dyk's own material began to attract attention. "By the time they realised I was a German, it was too late!" van Dyk said. Van Dyk also remixed a well known early-90s track, Age of Love in 1997.

In 1998, 45 RPM was re-released in the UK and in the US. To mark the event, and in homage to the defunct E-Werk, Paul released a remix of "For An Angel". Van Dyk took up a residency at Sheffield's Gatecrasher and declared himself anti-drugs, which led to home-made "No E, Pure PvD" T-shirts, also a sly note to journalists that his surname contained no "E". In 1998, Paul remixed British trance duo, Binary Finary's famous "1998" single, which was a successful version that took Binary Finary to the top of the German Dance charts.

In mid-1998, Van Dyk left MFS Records and took a controlling share in the new label Vandit Records. In 2000, Paul flexed his skills with his melodic, dancefloor-friendly Out There And Back, which included the hit single "Tell Me Why (The Riddle)", a collaboration with Saint Etienne. It also included the European hit We Are Alive, a remixed version of the Jennifer Brown song Alive. His first mix album The Politics of Dancing (2001) was followed by a world tour and a DVD release Global (2003) and the Mexican film "Zurdo", for which van Dyk composed the soundtrack and won a Mexican Oscar for his work.

Reflections (2003) derived from van Dyk’s trips to India, was a more melancholy affair, and includes the single "Nothing But You", a collaboration with Hemmstock & Jennings. It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Electronic Album. The mix album The Politics of Dancing 2 (2005) was preceded by a single "The Other Side," featuring Wayne Jackson; a song dedicated to the victims, and their families, of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that struck Thailand on 26 December 2004. His original productions from Reflections have been synced into major motion pictures such as Into the Blue, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, television’s Entertainment Tonight and MTV’s Cribs, and international ad campaigns for Motorola, HBO, Land Rover, Ski Vail and most recently for Jeep.

2007–2010: In Between

Paul van Dyk in El Salvador

Crowd at a Paul van Dyk rave in Atlanta

Paul van Dyk released his fifth studio album, In Between, worldwide on 14 August 2007. The album, which he created over a three-year period, debuted at number #115 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Billboard's Top Electronic Albums and #1 on the Top Heatseekers. The album also reached #16 on the Mexican Albums Chart and #5 on the Mexican International Chart. The album was released accompanied by a special edition limited to two thousand copies which included a mixed version of the full album, along with an eight-track bonus CD and an eight-page photo anthology.

The album was produced primarily by Paul van Dyk himself, and features a wide range of collaborators including David Byrne of Talking Heads, Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls, Ashley Tomberlin from Luminary, Alex M.O.R.P.H, Lo Fi Sugar, Rea Garvey of Reamonn, Ryan Merchant and Wayne Jackson. It also features a vocal sample from Ben Lost from Probspot's "Blows My Mind" on the song "Another Sunday". In June 2007, Paul van Dyk embarked on the worldwide "In Between Tour" to promote the album.

On New Year's Eve 2008/2009 Paul played Barra Beach to over 1 million people in Rio de Janero giving testament to his incredible popularity the world over.

His work with EA Games has resulted in mulitple releases featuring his music on Mirror's Edge and Grand Slam Tennis out in 2009. Paul has also lent his talents to remixing Batman's "Dark Knight Theme" written by Hanz Zimmer which helped the album win best soundtrack in a motion picture grammy which Paul van Dyk shares with his fellow collaborators. But Paul is no stranger to high profile remixes, he has put his unique twist on Depeche Mode’s "Martyr", Justin Timberlake’s "What Goes Around" and Britney Spears "Gimme More" just to name a few.

Paul van Dyk hosts a show on Radio Fritz every Saturday at 20:00 GMT.

In May 2008, Paul van Dyk set up a remix competition with digital download network Beatport.com, inviting aspiring producers to remix his single 'Far Away' which appeared on his 2007 album 'In Between'. Paul has appeared as one of the DJs at Trance Energy 2009.

It was revealed by Paul van Dyk that his record label Vandit would be merging with Armin Van Buuren's Armada Music.

2012 – present: Evolution

The next studio album by Paul van Dyk, entitled 'Evolution' is scheduled for release on 20 March 2012.

Personal life

- He is married to Natascha van Dyk, who also appears on some of his releases (vocals on "Together We Will Conquer"). The two were married in Cancún, Mexico.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

Since 2001, Paul has taken an interest in politics. His creation of The Politics of Dancing compilation was inspired by electronic dance music's universal acclaim by different people around the world. "Palestinians are dancing with Israelis. Lebanese people are dancing with Israelis – without war, without anything in their minds other than treating each other respectfully", said van Dyk in 2006. He also has called EDM "...a political and diplomatic tool that could be used." Having grown up with little freedom, his musical career has helped him voice his opinions about politics. He opposes the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. He describes himself as anti-war and has advertised this while performing, by wearing a shirt reading "Make peace, not war".

He has helped fight poverty by supporting social programs to help disadvantaged people in India, New York, and Berlin. He also participated in Rock the Vote in 2004 and 2008; he and Bono being the only non-American artists to join the campaign encouraging young people to vote.

Trivia

- Paul van Dyk never flies in a plane of type McDonnell Douglas MD-80.

- He has the second largest Miles & More account (the frequent flyer program of Lufthansa).

Discography

Main article: Paul van Dyk discography

Studio Albums

• 1994: 45 RPM
• 1996: Seven Ways
• 2000: Out There and Back
• 2003: Reflections
• 2007: In Between
• 2012: Evolution

TV Shows

• 2003: What's New, Scooby-Doo

Soundtracks

• 2003: Zurdo
• 2004: One Perfect Day
• 2005: The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants
• 2005: Into The Blue
• 2008: The Dark Knight

Video Games

• 1999: Wipeout 3
• 2003: FIFA Football 2004
• 2004: Need For Speed: Underground 2
• 2008: Mirror's Edge
• 2009: Grand Slam Tennis
• 2011: Test Drive Unlimited 2
• 2012: Grand Slam Tennis 2

Awards

• 1999 DJ Mag Music Maker
• 1999 Best International DJ
• 1999 Best International Award
• 1999 Man Of The Year By Mixmag
• 1999 Leader Of The Trance Nation
• 2003 Best European DJ (Miami Winter Music Conference 2003)
• 2003 Best Trance Track Paul Van Dyk - Nothing But You
• 2003 Nominated Grammy Award For His Album: Reflections
• 2004 America’s Favorite DJ
• 2004 Best International DJ
• 2004 Best Event
• 2004 Best Music In A Commercial (Motorola)
• 2004 Ariel (Mexican Oscar For Best Original Score In Zurdo)
• 2004 Best Music Maker By DJ Magazine
• 2004 Big Winner At The Dancestar Awards
• 2005 WMC 2005 Best Track House Progressive/Trance: Nothing But You (Paul Van Dyk)
• 2005 WMC 2005 Best International DJ
• 2005 America’s Favorite DJ
• 2005 Best DJ For Dance/Electronic Album For His Original Album: Reflections
• 2005 The International Dance Music Award (IDMA) For Best Euro DJ.
• 2005 DJ Mag No 1 DJ
• 2005 Mixmag's 1st No 1 DJ
• 2005 Best Produer Trance Awards
• 2005 Best Global DJ Trance Awards
• 2006 Best Global DJ (Miami Winter Music Conference 2006)
• 2006 Best Record Label: VANDIT
• 2006 Best Producer (Miami Winter Music Conference 2006)
• 2006 Best Global DJ, Best NuNRG/Euro Track
• 2006 DJ Mag No 1 DJ
• 2006 Best Global DJ Trance Awards
• 2006 Best Producer
• 2006 Best Mix Compilation For The Politics of Dancing 2
• 2006 Cross Of Merit From The City Of Berlin
• 2006 Best HI NRG / Euro Track For "The Other Side" (Miami Winter Music Conference 2006)
• 2006 B.Z.-Kulturpreis 2006
• 2007 Best Ortofon European DJ (Miami Winter Music Conference 2007)
• 2007 Best DJ By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Producer By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Label VANDIT By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Remixer By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Live Act By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Resident By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Club Night CREAM,Ibiza By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Album In Between By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Radio Show VONYC By Trance Awards
• 2007 Best Website By Trance Awards
• His Regular 6 Hour Set At “Gatecrasher” Was Voted As The "Second Best Club Night Ever"
• Best International DJ By Musik Berlin, Zürich, Amsterdam, Londres, Paris, Milan, NY
• 2008 Best International DJ By The Ministry Of Sound
• 2008 Best International Producer By The Ministry Of Sound
• 2008 Shared Grammy For The Dark Knight Which Won (Best Soundtrack In A Motion Picture)
• 2008 Best DJ By Trance Awards
• 2008 Best Producer By Trance Awards
• 2008 Best Label "Vandit" By Trance Awards
• 2009 Best International DJ By The Ministry Of Sound
• 2009 Best International Producer By The Ministry Of Sound
• 2009 Best Track "Home"(Paul Van Dyk Club Mix)By The Ministry Of Sound
• 2009 Best DJ National Paul Van Dyk By Raveline Poll 2009
• 2009 Best Album 2009 "VOLUME" In The Raveline Poll 2009
• 2009 Best Trance Label National "VANDIT Records" In The Raveline Poll 2009
• 2009 Best trance DJ By Trance Awards
• 2009 Best Producer By Trance Awards
• 2009 Best Trance Track "Paul Van Dyk Feat Johnny McDaid – Home" By Trance Awards 2009
• 2010 Best Full Length DJ Mix - "VONYC Sessions 09" By IDMA
• 2010 Best DJ National Paul Van Dyk By Raveline Poll 2010
• 2011 Longest Running DJ In Top 10 Of DJ's Mag Top 100 DJ's (13 Year's)

External links

• Official website
• Paul van Dyk at the Internet Movie Database
• Artist Site at Ultra Records

Awards and achievements
Preceded by n/a	Mixmag Number 1 DJ 2005	Succeeded by Erol Alkan
Preceded by Tiësto	DJ Magazine Number 1 DJ 2005–2006	Succeeded by Armin van Buuren